How do I combat chiggers?

[rekees4300]

"how can I eliminate or reduce that real strong itch?"

Chigarid

 

[stub]

I got chiggers once when I was little and Mom painted nail polish on all the places I'd dug raw. I don't remember if it stopped them from itching, but it sure did sting.

 

[beppington]

I got chiggers once when I was little and Mom painted nail polish on all the places I'd dug raw. I don't remember if it stopped them from itching, but it sure did sting.

I've read that fingernail polish doesn't work, but cannot confirm.

 

[Jay4200]

So my question is - how can I reduce, or eliminate, the darn chiggers from getting on me when I am working in the grass or pasture.

Deep Woods Off.

Could be worse. Could be ticks.

JayC

 

[rrrkkk]

once you apply the chigarid the itching will stop it will sting or burn for a minute or two that all there there is to it. It's kinda like a medicated fingernail polish.

 

[Car Doc]

I use chiggerex these days it smells like it has clove oil in it and I know for a fact clove oil is deadly on anything it gets near, the stuff has an anti-itch med in also it works the best for me anyway.

I get chiggers constantly anytime I am outside and around grass so my ankles and waist are always itching and scratching.

I didnt like the chigger rid although it works its like having blobs of fingernail polish all over or glue. The chiggerex is a creme its much better product imho.

As far as how to prevent them stay inside the house!

 

[hill]

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) will stop the itch temporarily. The itch is an allergic reaction to their saliva if I remember correctly. Creme or spray for the bite, or allergy tablets will work. If I get into them, I take the pills at night to keep me from clawing the blood out of myself in my sleep.
Ian

Yeah, and there's a Benatryl itch relief topical gel that works pretty good for temporary relief from the itching. You smear it right on the bit places, and it's become my number one for when it gets really almost intolerable.

Calamine lotion is sold both with and without an itch reliever. Make sure to read the label, or you'll think it ain't worth what it costs..

Someone mentioned a clove oil product and that it is poisonous? I don't know about poisonous but clove oil is an old time remedy for toothache. They still sell little bottles of it for putting right into your mouth, so the poison can't be too bad.

 

[JRobyn]

Chiggers seek out and climb to the top of grass/weeds where they are in the ideal position to crawl onto anything that brushes by. So one of the best defenses is to keep grass and weeds mowed down. They don't seem to be able to figure out what to do in a large mowed or bushhogged area since nothing is "tall". We have tons of chiggers in central TN, but in areas that we frequent we just keep the weeds down and there is almost no problem from chiggers in these areas.

Once on you, they crawl to "edges" (pants cuffs, top of socks, waistbands, collarbands, etc.) where they can get on fresh skin. They'll usually crawl down past the "edge" to where it is dark, hot, moist, and they have "cover" to push against. Permanone works great on exterior clothing and boots to prevent them from crawling around to find an edge. We always spray down boots really well in the spring, and maybe one repeat application mid-summer. It lasts a long time when soaked into leather. Don't use Permanone on skin, use DEET. DEET sprays will cause them to either die or just drop off (I don't care which). We use the "heavy" 40% or more stuff. If you are only going in grassy/weedy areas, a good coating around ankles, spread up to the knees is usually sufficient. MAKE SURE to pull down those socks and coat under them good. If you don't, they'll get to the top of the sock edge and then go down inside. This is how all the ankle bites happen! Make sure to have a good solid coat all around the knees, particularly the BACK where pants provide good "cover". This will also minimize chances that they crawl UP your legs to much more sensitive itch spots! If you'll be out in forested areas or where there's HIGH weeds (blackberry vines!!) you'll also need to go around your neckline, waistband, armbands. This will prevent the majority of bites.

They do NOT burrow into/under your skin as most folks believe. They DO inject saliva with really nasty enzymes that essentially dissolve your flesh and then they slurp up the goo. Somewhat similar to brown recluse spiders, but not quite that bad. It is the resulting dissolved flesh wound that itches so bad and takes so long to heal.

Showering thoroughly as soon as practical after being in a known exposure area is helpful, but I really don't understand why, since their damage (it seems to me) is usually done within at most an hour or so. Wash particularly well in those dark, hot, moist areas where there has been pressure from clothing!

Hope this saves ya at least a few bites!

 

[Car Doc]

Someone mentioned a clove oil product and that it is poisonous? I don't know about poisonous but clove oil is an old time remedy for toothache. They still sell little bottles of it for putting right into your mouth, so the poison can't be too bad.

That would have been me the post just above you there! :thumbsup:

I wasn't saying it was poisonous to us although I see how that could be extrapolated from my comment in a stretch.

What I meant was it will certainly kill a bug that happens to still be chewing on you is all not that it is harmful to us. Besides if it was poisonous to us they sure wouldn't be selling it. Clove oil is used in the ornamental fish business to anesthetize KOI and goldfish etc and it will kill them also should they need euthanized or the operator isn't paying attention. I have a KOI pond and have used it many many times to knock fish out to treat wounds etc and I have put a few down humanely using it also. (my deadly comment)

I have one of those ancient red cross tooth ache kits with the clove oil in it and it is not a pleasant thing putting that stuff anywhere in your mouth yuck a bug sure wont survive it.

 

[eastexan]

Next thing you'll see is Texas importing the natural enemy of the fly. Same thing is going on with the Emerald Ash Borer. They imported some kind of wasp from China to try to combat it. Don't know if it was effective.

Ian

I've thought of that too. :laughing:

We've also had a big problem in our lakes from invasive aquatic plants from South America, congesting the lakes and waterways to the point of depleting oxygen and sunlight, killing fish and other aquatic life.

So now, they're thinking of importing the natural insect enemy of those plants.
After reading that in the newspaper, I'm wondering what damage those insects might do to our native plants. :confused2: